Mine-laying submarine



April 21, 1931. H. E. GRIESHABER 1,802,013

MINE LAYING SUBMRINE Filed Jan. 19, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 21, 1931. H. E. GRIESHABER 1,802,013

`MINE LAYING SUBMARINE Filed Jan. 19. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lil'l Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED s'rATEs r'AT'ENT "tossici:

HUGO E. GRIESHABER, OF NEW LONDON, CONNCTICUT, ASSIGNOR-TO-ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANY, OF GROTON, CONNECTICUT, CORPORATION OE JERSEY MINE-Lame sUBMAmNn c .ippiioaiion inea January is, 1929. serial No. aaaeoiif"I This invention relates to submarine boats for layin mines, and more particularly to a boat or laying mines by what is known as the wet mine system.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide a boat in which the mine stowage and discharge means are so constructed and arranged as to conserve the valuable space in the ,pressure hull while not necessitatin any increase in the dimensions of the oat. Another object is to provide means whereby a multiplicity of closures and complicated mechanism for dischargin the mines is avoided. A further object is to provide means whereby the mines are discharged laterally of the hull so as to be clear of the propeller.

A still further object is to provide means for discharging the mines, so constructed and arranged that eddies such as would have detrimental eil'ects on the s ced and radius of action of the boat are avoided. It is also an object of m invention to provide mine stowage and discharge means so related to the hull as to assure proper trim of the beat at all times and facilitate compensation for the mines discharged.

Further objects and advantages of m invention will appear from the detaile description.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the mid-ship portion of a, submarine constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the mid-ship portion of the boat, partly in plan;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on line 3-3 0fFig.1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a section taken'substantially on line 6 6 of Fig'. 1.'f I n The drawingsare, in lthe main, diagrammatic and all unnecessary parts have been omitted .for clearness of illustration.

The boat comprises anl inner pressure resisting hull 1 and an'outer hull 2, the s ace between these two hulls constituting ballast and compensating tanks' in a known manner. Between the hulls 4land 2, and at each side thereof, I provide two mine stowaffe tubes 3, these tubes extending fore and aft of the hull at the mid-shi portion thereof. The tubes 3 are refera ly horizontal, as illustrated, thoug this is not essential under all conditions and the tubes may be inclined if necessary or desired. At their forward ends the tubes open into a vertical stack 4 which opens through the outer hull 2 at the u per portion thereof. The u per end of t is stack is normally closed lby a hatch cover or door 4a. The after end of each of the tubes is open and is in direct communication with a space 5 in which is mounted a cradle or s oon 6 which is' hinced or piv oted at 7 or movement toward and away from the inner hull 1. This spoon when in its normal raised position, as in iig. 3, is disposed substantia y flush with the outer face of hull 2 so as to form a continuation thereof. The members 6 serve to normall substantially close the space 5 and the hu l 2 is faired to these members. This is advantageous as avoiding objectionable eddies such as would be apt to interfere with the speed or radius of action of the boat. The tubes 8 are o n to the sea through the spaces 5 at their after ends, but these tubes are water-ti ht and are out of communication with tie ballast tanks in which the tubes are located.

The s ns 0 are operated by piston rods 8 which extend through stalling boxes 0 in the inner hull 1. These piston rods are connected to pistons which operate in cylinders 9 10 suitably mounted in a mine room or compartment 11 within hull 1. By admitting compressed air into e linders 10 at opposite sides of the pistons t ierein, the spoons can be operated for discharging the mines as desired. Normally, the s oons 6 are held in inoperative position as illustrated in Fig. 3. These s oons are disposed in alignment with and clldsely adjacent the after ends of the tubes 3, when in normal or 4inoperative positin to receive mines. discharged from these tu es.

Each of the tubes 3 has associated there with suitable conveyor means for moving the mines throughl the tubes. `C onveyor means of this type is known in the art and need not be illustrated noidescribedindetail. Briefly, a pluralityr of shafts 12 extend into the lower portion of each ofthe tubes 3. These shafts carry sprocket wheels or inions 13 at their outer ends, being provi ed at their inner endswith sprocket wheels about which pass sprocket chains 14, these chains also passin f about a sprocket wheelvsecured on a. sha t 15 driven byJan electric motor 16 within the mine room 11, suitable switch means being provided in the mine room for controlling t e 'operation of this motor. The inions 18 mesh with 'racks 14a carried by tie mines `lavwhich are stowed in tubes 3. A conveyor structure f this general tlype is disclosed in my patent for Mine disc erging device, issued October 27 1925, Patent No. 1,558,868.

ln shippin the mines, the hatch door or cover 4a being opened, ythe mines 15a are lowered into the stack 4, as indicated in Fig. 1, and are moved forwardly through the lower tube until this tube has een com- )letely filled, one mine remaining in the ottom of stack 4. A suitable spacer is then placed above this mine and the mines are loaded into the upper tube 8 in the same manner, until this tube is fiiled, the last mine loaded or shi pcd remainin in stack 4. A suitable spacing member is t en placed between this mine and the hatch cover 4a, which is then suitably secured closed so as to ,ell'ect a proper closure Vo'f the stack 4. The mines are held against casual discharge from the afterends of the tubes by stop pins 17 which operate through stuffing boxes 18 extending into the mine room, these pins projecting outwardly across the ends of the tubes as in Fig. 4.

Wlicn it is desired to discharge or lay 'the mines, the motors 10 are set into 'o eration so as to drive the shafts 12, suitab e clutch means being provided, if desired, to control operation of the conveyorl without necessitating sto pa e of the motor.l This result can also e o tained by a suitable switch in the mine room controlling the motor; cir-v cuit. The stop pins 17 are, of coursewitli drawn before setting the conveyor mech anism into operation.l lThe conveyor mechanism-serves to move the mines aft in the tubes 3, each mine,as, it leaves the tube, passing into the spooii 6. 'When the mine 1s in full position upon, the' spoon, it engages a contact member 19 lat, the after end of the space 5. e

This member has associated therewith suitable means, either yelectrical or mechanical, for operatinga valve which admits ,compressed air 'to thecylinder 10" at the inner side of the piston.' This serves to project rod 8 thus swinging the spoon G .outwardly into the position indicated y by dotted lines ,in Fig.,3, thus diseliargin the mine laterally of the hull and clear o the aside thereof.;. The mine is thus discharged out of the path of the ropeller. In practice, a mine'is firstdisciiarged from one of ,the lower tubes, a vsecond mine being then dischar ed from thelldwer't'ube'on the op' osite si e of'the`hull,a* tliird-mine heilig discharged from the 'topitube at'the side of the hull at which the'first mine was ldischarged, and thefourth' mine being discharged fijom the top tube'at the side of the hull 'from' which thesecond mine was discharged, this order bein repeated until all of the mines liaveben is'cliarged from the tubes. AIt is not essential that the mines be discharged in this particular vorder, though it is the order which I prefer as maintaining pro er trim of the boatp'at all times.

mpensating tanks 20 'and 21 are provided adjacent space 5 and stack 4, resgectively, these tanks being at the ends of t e ballast tanks 22 in"which the tubes 3 are disposed. Whenever` a mine is discharged a suitable 'quantity of water is taken i'nto the tank 20 to compensate for the mine, and as the succeeding mine is moved aft in the tube 3, water is 'caused to flow forward from tank 2O to tank 2,1,.in a known manneif, to offset the after moment due to movement of the mine aft.

When all of the 'mines-have been discharged, both of the compensating tanks 20 and 21 are full of water', these tanks being of properfcapaeity to compensate for the mines. I have shown the tubes, including the stack 4, as of proper length to affori stowage for ten mines each, making a total of forty mines which can be carried and discharged from these tubes. .The length of the tubes may however, be varied within limits, and I o not inanyway intend to limit myself tothe number of mines stowed in the tubes. It is particularly noted that the tubes are disposed at the midship por- 'tion of the boat at opposite sides thereof and that the compensating tanks 20 and 21 are adjacent the ends of these tubes. This assures proper trim of the boat and facilitates compensation. y l

Preferably the mine stovvage tubes are at 'sesam is not essential. In itsbroaderl aspects, my invention comprehends any suitable arrange-` ment of the tubes relative to eachother and to the hull, b .which valuable space within plicit ciate mechanisms, are avoi ed. A

What I claim is y l. In a mine la 'ng submarine boat, an outer hull and an inner hull tubes between of closures for the tubes, and assothe two hulls and disposed fore vand aft;

thereof said tubes being adapted for reception of mines and means operable from within the hull for dischar ing mineafrom` said tubes laterally of an yond said hull.

2. In a mine laying submarine boat, an outer hull and an inner hull, horizontal tubes between the hulls and adapted for reoutwardly beception of mines and means for discliar ingv the mines for said tubes said means inc ud. ing a contact member disposed for Contact by a mine positioned in said discharge means for discharge thereby. Y

3. In a mine laying submarine, a tube extending fore and aft of the hull and adapted for rece tion of a plurality of mines a member isposed `to receive a mine move outwardly beyond the tube, said member being mounted to discharge the mine into the sea when moved into o erative position, and means for operating t e mine receiving member comprising a contact member dis osed for contact by a mine which has een properly positioned upon said member.

4. In a mine laying submarine boat, an out-er hull and an inner hull, a mine stowage tube between the hulls and extending fore and aft thereof, the inner hull comprising a mine room, a member at the outlet end of the tube and normally disposed to receive mines moved outwardly theretlirouvh, said member bein movable into position outwardly beyond t e hull to discharge the mine therefrom, means operable from within the Amine roem for advancing the mines in the tube toward the outlet end thereof, and means operable from within the mine room for operatin 1r the mine receiving and discharging mem er.

5. In a mine laying submarine boat, an outer hull and an inner hul1,a mine stowage tube between the hulls and extending fore and aft thereof, the inner hull comprisin a mine room a member at the outlet end o the tube and normally disposed to receive mines moved outwardly therethrough, said member bein movable into position to'discharge the mine therefrom, means operable from within the mine room for advancin the mines in the tube toward the outlet en thereof, means operable from withinthe se the pressure iull is conserved and a multitube. extending fore`and ,aft of the hull at thefsid'etheieof,andliaving its outlet end i directedlaft, said tube being open to the seathrouh complicated` o erating and controlA .inging-rotanl ,frhoperatiii ',themine receiving and," d ist/:hagingfumettiI er,- and ay contact membgih'fdispsed forwc'ontact, A ,by a mine r pierlyrpositioned,iiponbthe receiving and 1 rswsfmsmbtar, i

6.l-LI'n a mine layinglsubmarine Aboat, a

'its 'outlet end, 4means for advancing t e minesinthtube toward the outletend thereof, aiidxmeansoperable from within theih'ullfoif receiving the mines from thetube,aindlfqrldischarging them into the vancing t e'mines ,in thetube toward the outlet end thereof, and means operable from .within the .hull`,,for` receiving the mines -from` the tube andfor dischar 'ng them into the sea outwardly beyond t e side of the hull. 4

8. In'a mine laying submarine boat comprising a mine room within the pressure hull and located amidship Va. mine stowage tube extending fore and a t of the hull with its outlet end in the lane of the' mine room, means controlledl rom the mine room for advancin the mines in the tube toward the v outlet en thereof, and means operable from within the hull for receiving the mines from the tube and for discharging them into the sea.

9. In a mine laying submarine boat comprising an outer hull, an inner pressure hull, and a midship mine room, a mine stowage tube between the hulls at the side thereof and extending fore andaft of the boat, the outlet end of the tube being open to the sea and in theplane of the room, means controlled from the mine room for advancin the mines in the tube toward 'the outlet en thereof, and-means operable' from within the hull for receiving the mines from the tube and for discharging them into the sea.

.10. In a mine. laying submarine boat, a mine stowage tube, means operable from lwithin thevliull for receivin mines from the tube and for `discharging t iem into the sea outwardly beyond the si e of the hull structure, and means for transferring the mines from said tube to the receiving and dis- "charging means.

11'. ,In a mine laying submarine boat, mine stowage `means, a mine receiving and discharge. member operable from within the ferrin the'mines rom' said stowage means to sai member.

imm

l 12. In a mi'ne l'ayiig snbm'rin'e b6at`,'ih v inner hull and an 4oltexthixll'`p'vlivi'ci'ed.with mine discharge opening, and 'a mine 'receiving and discharge member disposed't'o u close said opening when in receiving position, said member when in discharging position being dis osed to dischurg u mine therefrom into t e Aseu and 'outwar y beyond the side of the outer hull, the receiving and dischnr e member being operable from within t e hull.

In witness whereof, I hereunto snbsrib'e my'nam'e this 7 day of J'nnuer'l 1929.

HUGO EJGRI SHABER. 

